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Birth ethics

20 March 1999

Babies to order is a hot topic right now. Adrian Mathew’s Vienna Blood is
set in the future—but it is science thriller rather than science fiction.
The dateline is Vienna, 2026, and the scenario is what might happen if
unscrupulous genetic engineers have access to IVF and maternity clinics. It’s a
little obvious how the neo-Nazi subplot ties in with the main story (racially
targeted biological warfare), but this novel does highlight some of the ethical
problems we should be considering as genetic science develops. Published by
Jonathan Cape, £10, ISBN 0224059335.